Chables h



C. H. MEIGS. -F|RE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

Aug. 12,1919.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 28, 19IB- Patented AIM S gn 5434301140 4,

arena oars boa CHARLES H. MEIGS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 MAUANDREWS 62; FORBES COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CDRPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-EXTING-UISHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 312, lists.

Application filed February 28, 1918. Serial No. 219,600.

paratus are generally of acid and soda content, the acid component being carried by a receptacle mounted within the container, this receptacle being generally closed by a suitable stopple which is moved from its seat when the apparatus is inverted. While the present invention is adapted for use in connection with different forms which this class of invention may take-on, it is especially adapted for use in connection with apparatus operating under foam -extinguishing principles, in which the acid component is generally in the form of a solution and therefore requires a receptacle of conslderable capacity to contain the proper amount of solution proportioned to the soda solution component, the latter preferably carrying the foam-producing ingredient.

Owing to the capacity requirement, the acid receptacles are generally formed of metal, the receptacle having an open top and having a suitable seat for the stop lo, the latter generally being formed of lea or a suitable alloy, the parts being arranged to withstand corrosive or other action by the acid. In this latter type of apparatus, the stopple is generally mounted in a cage of suitable type, the stopple normally resting on its seat and being adapted to fall or gravitate from its seat when the container is inverted, thus permitting the acid content to be brought into contact with the soda solution and generate the extinguishing medium. Both components are in solution form and should be brought together in the proper proportions to secure the desired result.

While the weight of the stopple is assumed to be suflicient to provide unseating of the stopple under this inverting action, this theoretical result is not generally obtained in practice-excepting under extremely favorable conditions it being found that the stopple is either held to its seat throughout the area of the contacting faces or at some portion or portions thereof; in the former case the receptaclev does not open when the apparatus is inverted, and in the latter case the movement of the stopple is so disarranged as to materially affect the general operation through improper discharge of the acid solution and thereby varying the desired proportions between the solutions being commixed.

This result is especially liable where the apparatus has remained inactive for a considerable length of time, and is due to the fact that there is a tendency of the acid content to crystallize under certain conditions. For instance, if the receptacle is moved about soas to shake or splash its contents, the acid content of the film remaining on the sides of the receptacle, when the solution comes to rest, may become crystallized and form a deposit on the walls. And where this splashing action is suiiicient to carry the contents to the top of the receptacle, the solution may extend on to the seat or the seating face of the stopple, a condition which permits this crystallization action to take place atthe seating point of the stopple. As the magnitude of movement ordinarily sufficient to cause a splashing action of this extent will generally shift the stopple from its seat, it will be understood that the film may readily extend between the stopple and its seat. In this latter condition, when crystallization takes place, the deposits form a means for retaining the stopple seated, and when the apparatus is inverted, vthis crystallization must be broken down before the desired gravity action of the stopple can be properly had, the crystallization tending to form a binder which more or less firmly holds the stopple to its seat.

In a companion application Ser. No.

211,308][ have pointed out ways in which In the present this problem may be met. invention I have provided another and a different treatment ofthis problem, the break down of the completed crystallization being provided by the automatic application of a blow to the stopple when the apparatus is inverted, this blowin the nature of a hammer blow-being given in the direction of opening movement of the stopple. Several ways are herein illustrated by means of which this result can be obtained, each form employed being carried by the stopple itself and thus remaining as a permanent part of the apparatus ready for use each time the apparatus is charged, the operation providing no damage to parts. In each case the blow-imparting element is normally located within the receptacle and, when the apparatus is in inactive position,-aids in retaining the stopple seated, thus reducing the liability of stopple movement from its seat under a shaking action and tending to prevent the solution from passing between the stopple and its seat with the result that the extent of crystallization action is more or less limited. Since the blow is provided on the stopple itself with no material damage thereto, no damage to-other parts is had.

In addition, the arrangement is simple and comparatively inexpensive and can be applied to existing structures with substantially no change excepting as to the stopple itself, a change readily provided by the sub stitution of one form of stopple for another. To these and other ends, therefore, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus of the class referred to showing one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto.

.Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a different embodiment of the invention.

As heretofore pointed out, the principles of the present invention are appllcable for use in connection with apparatus of this type generally and especially where the stopple is formed of metal. he disclosure made herein, shows the ap lication of these principles to apparatus 0' the foam-extinuishing type, a type where the difiiculty to be remedied is especially prominent for reasons heretofore pointed out. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in its application to the specific type of apparatus disclosed.

In the drawings I have shown it as applied to the type of apparatus disclosed in theIcompanion application above identified,

10 indicating the container having a bottom 11,,a'neck 12, a cap 13 threaded thereto,

and a flexible discharge structure 14. 15 indicates the inner receptacle which extends practically to the bottom of the container and has its upper end provided with a stopple 16, the latter being normally mounted on a seat at the top of receptacle 15 and located within a cage 17 which extends into neck 12, the cage being adapted to act more or less as a guide for the stopple and at the same time permit free gravity movements of the latter when the apparatus is inverted. In this particular embodiment, the seat is practically in the form of an edge which enters into an annular groove on the lower face of the stopple, the bottom of the groove forming the stopple seating face, the arrangement being such as to provide for a minimum area of contact between the stopleseating face and the edge of the seat.

owever, this arrangement is specific to the form of apparatus referred to in the companion application, and is not intended to limit the present invention as to use.

' Referring more particularly to the" present invention, two forms of which are'disclosed, the purpose is to provide a blow to the stopple when the apparatus is inverted, this blow being designed more particularly for the purpose of disrupting anybinding effect between the stoppleand its seat which may haie been provided by a crystallization action. Owing to the character .of the acid contents of the receptacle, this stopple is generally of lead or suitable alloy in order that corrosive action under the acld may be reduced to a minimum. Hence, the blowimparting structure should be of such character as to provide the necessary power to produce the actionbut without tending to produce any material damage to the stopple itself, it being understood, of course, that the apparatus is designed to be recharged after having been used, so that the stopple should remain as a permanent part of the apparatus, although removable at will eferring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, this blow-imparting structure is pro vided by a weighted element such, for instance, as a ball 20, this ball being located within a cup-shaped receptacle 21 which is removably secured to the under face of the stopple, receptacle 21 having a length such as will permit the ball to travel a distance sufiicient to obtain the desired impetus so that in contacting with the stopple the blow will be more or less in the nature of a hammer blow. A simple form of apparatus is rovided by forming the stopple with a oss 16 carryin peripheral threads, the threaded boss bem produced at the time of the casting of t e stopple, thus providing for a coarse thread to the boss. The upper end of receptacle 21'is formed with a complemental configuration which will readily thread on to the boss, the result b eing that a runway is provided beneath the stopple of a desired length, this runway being practically closed to the acid solution through the threaded connection, so that the ball is permitted to move with freedom throughout the length of receptacle 21. Since receptacle 21 depends from the stopple when the latter is closed, ball 20 will normally lie at the bottom of this receptacle, the result being that the stopple is not only held to its seat by its own weight, but also by the presence of this ball weight located below the plane of the seating face, thus providing an efiicient stopple-retaining effect during such movements of the apparatus as are ngt designed to provide for the inverting operation. Obviously, this retain ingaction will reduce the areaof crystal: lizing bindin since the possibility of the solution passing between the seat and seating face 1s materially reduced.

When, however, the apparatus is inverted, the ball freely moves'to the opposite end of the runway and into contact with boss 16, imparting a blow-on the'order of a hammerblow. to the boss and obviously to the stopple, the blow being suflicient to break down any binding eflect IWlIIlCh the crystallization action may have produced. As vwill "be understood, the desired efl'ect is produced v not simply because of the weight of the ball,

but b reason of the impetus of the latter and t e more or less hammer-like character of the blow. Consequently the weight of the ball may be comparatively small, a desirable feature in order that its size may be maintained comparatively small and permit ting recep tacle 21 to be of a correspondingly small cross section, it being understood, of

I 5 course, that receptacle '21 should not materially obstruct the discharge of the solution after the sbopple has moved from its seat.

Furthermore, since the ball is traveling-in a v runway which is entirely or. substantially free from solution, it will be understood that the length of receptacle 21 need not be excessive, thus reducing the amount of obstruction to the outflow of the acid solution,

and at the same timeproviding againstmovement of the ball in such manner as to produce any material battering of the stopple.

While I have referred to member 20 as a ball, it will be understood that this element may have various configurations, the essential feature being that it is able to pass freely from one 'end of the runway to the other in order that it may impart the blow to the stopple. 1

Obviously, receptacle 21 will be treated'to withstand corrosive action of the acid, it being understood that when the apparatus is inverted, this receptacle is in the direct path of travel of the acid content.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a difierent embodiment ofthe principles of the invention, the blow-imparting element not being inelosed, the weight-shown as of ball form being attached to the stopple by a flexible chain 22 of suitable length, one end of the chain being secured to the under face of the stopplethe latter preferably having a boss to receive the blow, although this is not essential+th'e opposite end of the chain being connected to the ball. The chain and ball will, of course, be treated to withstand the corrosive action of the acid solution.

paratus is invented and are thus carried to a point Where the outflow of solution is not restricted to any material amount.

"As will be seen, in each of the forms shown, the blow-imparting element or structure is a part of thestopple and does not affect. the ability to position the stopple within or remove it from the-apparatus.

Hence the principles of the invention can be made applicable to any standard form of apparatus of this general class with a minimum expense, simply by substituting a stopple of the type herein indicated-varied to meet the general cnoss-sectional configuratime of the particular type of such standard apparatus for the standard stopple, this substitution being made without afiecting an'y'L-of the remaining elements of the apparatus. V

,As will be seen, a fundamental feature of the inventionis the employment of a blowimpantin'g element freely movable relative.

to a gravity-stopple and to impart a ham mer-blow efi'ect exerted in the direction of opening movement of the stopple, to provide such stopple openin movement in cases where gravity is insu cient to properly unseat the sto ple, While I prefer to provide this result y the use of means of the general types herein disclosed, the invention contemplates obtaining this general result in other ways. v v

While I have herein shown and described various ways in which the principles of the present invention maybe employed, it will be readily understood that changes or mod-1- fications therein may be found desirable or necessary in meeting the various exigencies of use, and l desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and all such further ch-a 1 es ormsodifications as may be found desire; le or deemed essential, in so far as the same may at within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims when broadly construed.

What I claim is:

1. In fire-extinguishing apparatus adapted to be rendered active by inversion of the apparatus, an outer container having a neck, an inner receptacle having an open top and also having means extending into said neck to space said open top relative to the neck, a gravity stopple normally seated to close said open top and movable relative to said means, and a blow-imparting element freely movable within and in the direction of length of said receptacle to provide a hammer-like blow efi'ect to said stopple exerted in the direction of stopple-opening movement when the apparatus is inverted, whereby said element may aid in the stopple unseating movement.

2. In fire-extinguishing apparatus adapted to be rendered active by inversion of the apparatus, the combination with. the open-top component-receiving receptacle and its gravity stopple, of means within the receptacle for imparting a hammer blow effect to said stopple when the apparatus is inverted, said means being freely movable in the direction of length of the receptacle and exerting its blow action in the direction of stopple opening movement.

3. In fire-extinguishing apparatus adapted to be rendered active'by inversion of the apparatus, t-he combination with the open-top component-receiving receptacle and its gravity, stopple, of means for imparting a hammerlow effect to said stopple when the apparatus is inverted, said means being supported by the stopple and freely movable in the direction of length of the receptacle and exerting its blow action in the direction of stopple opening movement.

4.. In fire-extinguishing apparatus adapted to be rendered active by inversion of the apparatus, the combination with the open top component-.receivin receptacle and its gravity stopple, of a %low-imparting-element supported by the stopple and freely movable in the direction of length of the receptacle,

5. A gravity stopple for fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a body portion having a seating face, and a freely-movable blow-imparting element sup orted by said body portion to cause the low-imparting movements of said element to be exerted in a direction to shift the stopple from its seat.

6. A gravity stopple for fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a body. portion having a seating face, a supporting struc ture projecting from said body portion with in said seating face, and a blow-imparting element mounted within and freely movable in the direction of length of said structure.

7. A. gravity stopple for fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a body portion having a seating face, a cup-shaped supporting structure projecting from said body portion within said seating face, and a blowimparting element mounted within and freely movable in the direction of length of said structure.

8. A gravity stopple for fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a body portion having a seating face, said body portion having a projecting boss within said face, a cup-shaped supporting structure carried by said boss, and a blow-impartin element mounted within and freely mova le in the direction of length of said structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. MEIGS.

Witnesses:

El JANEWAY, F. D. OGDEIL 

